The Fiorentina captain was at the height of his career and was widely considered by his team-mates to be as professional, punctual and healthy as footballers come, but last weekend the entirety of the footballing world was rocked by this devastating news.

Astori had been linked to Southampton countless time over the past five years. So often in fact, that he actually became a cult hero amongst the Southampton fanbase.

The former Southampton boss started by saying “I want to send all my condolences to Davide Astori and all the people that love him, and I think it’s a massive tragedy.

“I had the possibility to meet him five years ago because it was my idea to sign him when we were at Southampton. I took three hours to have lunch with him and he was a great kid, great person, great professional, great player.

“It was very sad news, we were devastated to hear the news and we share the pain with all the people in Italy and Florence, and I send all my energy to his family.”

Currently sitting just one point above the relegation zone, many would label this a stressful and troubling time to be a Southampton supporter. But when you hear stories like these, you’re handed a stark reminder of just how fortunate we really are.